


Courage

by tonys



Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game)
Genre: I Would Die And Kill For Ms. Van Dyne, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29891427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonys/pseuds/tonys
Summary: Janet is, quite frankly, sick of all of Tony's moping and pining.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	Courage

**Author's Note:**

> Originally for an anon on Tumblr.

“Why don’t you just ask Bucky out?” Janet asks. She tilts her head to the side innocently--even though her motives are anything but, considering that she knows how the both of them feel about each other. “He’d say yes. Then you don’t have to complain about being single everyday.” 

Tony scoffs, crossing his arms and leaning precariously back in his chair. “Please, he has a crush on Natasha so big it’s probably visible from the ISS. No way he’d say yes.”

“Uh.” Janet shakes her head. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, but he does _not_ have a crush on Natasha.” If Bucky has a crush on Natasha, then Janet is the queen of England. Seriously. She’s been witness to the lovesick, puppy-dog looks that Bucky has sent Tony’s way during lunch. It's almost enough to make her lose her appetite. Almost. “Doesn’t he write you poems?”

“He writes everybody poems! I’ve seen him slip poems into Steve’s locker, Jessica’s locker, Carol’s locker, everyone!” Tony pouts at this. Honest-to-god pouts. Janet would find it cute if she weren’t busy calculating how fast she needs to slam her head down on the table to knock herself out because she is at the end of her rope. 

“But does he write everyone _romantic_ poems? I’ve read some of the ones he’s given you. Comparing your smile to a ‘cool breeze on a hot summer’s day’?--” she moves her hand from left to right in the sky as she quotes the poem-- “that’s romantic.” 

Tony thinks about it for a second. Janet can see the gears turning in his head. Then, he sniffs. “He’s probably only using me to practice poems for Natasha.”

“ _Tony_ ,” Janet groans. “He likes _you_. Not Natasha, not Steve, not Jessica, not Carol, _you_.” 

“Ridiculous. I don’t see why he’d like me, not when there’s others to choose from.”

Janet frowns. “Have I ever told you that you make me sad?” 

“Multiple times a day, yes.” 

They sit in silence for a couple of seconds, Janet looking at Tony with the watery eyes that she _knows_ wears him down, before Tony rolls his eyes and lets all four legs of his chair land back down on the ground with a thud. “Fine! I’ll ask him out! But when he rejects me, you’re paying for the ice cream.” 

“Wasp’s honor!” Janet chirps, holding up a three-finger salute. 

* * *

Steve’s eyes lock with Sam across the diner, who only gives him a sympathetic, understanding look, and turns back to Bucky. “I don’t understand why you keep pussyfooting around it. You have to tell him.” 

“I’ve given him poems, but he never comes up and talks to me about them!” Bucky laments. “I’ve even staked his locker out to see how he’d react, and all he does is blush and shove it into his pockets!” 

“Tony can be... oblivious,” Steve says. “You have to be more ob-- did you say you staked his locker out?”

“Maybe.” Bucky shrinks into himself a fraction. “I had to wait for half an hour.” 

“Considering _I’ve_ never gotten you to stay still for more than ten minutes during a strategy meeting, that’s impressive.” Steve hums, then returns to the topic at hand. “Anyway, you have to tell him. Point blank, like pulling a bandaid off.” He claps his hand down onto the table, wincing minutely as his palm stings. “Tell him.”

“Steve--”

“Tell him, tell him, tell him,” Steve starts to chant.

“ _Steve--_ ”

“Tell him, tell him, tell him.”

“I can’t tell Tony--”

“Tell me what?” Tony pops up at their side. 

Steve shrieks in a very manly fashion. Bucky’s eyes bug out of his head. 

“You are small and surprisingly quiet!” Steve borderline yells. 

Tony scowls at being called _small_. “I can be quiet when I want to be. But what is it that Bucky can’t tell me?” His face morphs into something that Steve recognizes as thinly-veiled insecurity. 

“Bucky just wanted to say--”

“I’ve had a crush on you for months and I’m sad that you never seemed to notice me,” Bucky blurts out. 

“You’ve had a _what_ \--”

“A crush,” Bucky repeats. “I--I’m not sure if you like me back, though. I’ve written you poems, but you never seem to acknowledge them and I’m the one who paid for your coffee the other day and--”

“We’re going on a date--” Tony grabs Bucky’s hand and tugs him up (and Steve has to hide his laughter as Bucky’s cheeks flush)-- “right now. We’re going on a _date_.” 

“A date?” Bucky’s voice is breathy, almost dreamlike. “ _Now_ now?”

“Now now. We’ll see you later, Steve.” 

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Steve calls out to Tony and Bucky’s retreating backs. 

When they walk out, Steve looks out the window and gives a thumbs up. 

Janet pops out of a bush and cheers. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading! Feel free to hit me up on Tumblr @[hawkbucks](https://hawkbucks.tumblr.com/)! 
> 
> (Also stream [Don't Call Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6OoY6xneI0/) by SHINee✨)


End file.
